A disruptive campaign made headlines in Turkey.

Mor Cati (Purple Roof) is one of the oldest associations in Turkey providing free shelter to women suffering from domestic violence. One out of every three women in the country is a victim of domestic violence, but awareness of their plight is low. The challenge was to remind people and encourage them to act.

The agency made cutout outdoor posters of women and placed hidden cameras to document people’s reactions. The cutouts were placed in strategic locations in the busiest part of towns. Very quickly, vandals broke the arms and legs of the women in the pictures – which enabled the advertiser to reveal its real message. A viral video was created and posted to many social media networks.

The cutouts underlined Mor Çati’s message that women are victims of physical aggression by men. Instead of just talking about the problem, the project demonstrated it in a graphic way. The videos were placed on Facebook, Twitter and Vimeo, with the result that hundreds of bloggers from all over the world posted the link, some even voluntarily translating it into their own language. The campaign was launched in April 2010. More than 30,000 people watched the videos over the first five days. Donations increased about 35% during the campaign period.

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